Yes...depending. There are some Chemistry classes that are basic and do not require HS Chemistry. Check the uni for these. I hope to get my kids in DE Chemistry, but they've had a pretty extensive MS Chemistry program this year, FWIW.

Yes, all the Great Courses I have listed in my syllabus are available at my library. I even asked a librarian about interloan and she said it was possible.

I've been working on my Ancient History and Ancient Literature syllabi and here's what I have: The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by N.K. Sandars The Tale of Sinhue and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems translated by R.B. Parkinson Tanakh- Torah, Nevi’im, Kethuvim (Old Testament w/ GC companion) The Bhagavad Gita Siddhartha by Herman Hesse G Homer The Illiad translated by Robert Fagles. G Homer The Odyssey translated by Robert Fagles. G Aescylus- Oresteia (GC companion) translated by Robert Fagles G Sophocles- Three Theban Plays (GC companion) G Euripides- Medea (GC companion) G Aristophanes- The Frog and the Clouds (GC companion) R Virgil Aeneid translated by Robert Fagles G Plutarch. Lives. R Ovid. Metamorphoses. Translated by A.D. Melville or Allen Mandelbaum. G Plato The Republic translated by Robin Waterfield (GC companion) R Aurelius- Meditations (GC companion) Those labeled G are for Greek and R for Roman and GC companion have Great Courses for them. I'm also requiring Pandia Press's History Odyssey Ancients, which has a great number of essay and writing requirements and includes literature. They'll either listen or read the above literature and then listen to the lectures and do activities and writing. It's a big step up, but it's also high school.

I've excised similarly negative people from my life. It took me establishing healthy emotional boundaries, but also realizing that once you get this person out of your life, you'll get some backlash for it, most especially from those in your life with bad boundaries. So, rather than focusing on his issues, I'm addressing your issues.

It was a few years ago and the person who posted it on my social media is pretty much a hunt-and-peck typer (well, TBT, she only uses her two index fingers so it's tedious typing for her) and I think it was along the lines of this article. It says things like, "Adults studying new symbols, such as Chinese characters, might enhance recognition" or "Some physicians say handwriting could be a good cognitive exercise" or "Adults may benefit similarly when learning a new graphically different language, such as Mandarin." (emphasis added) I just see the logic being flawed and once they show that handwriting things for adults who type well and type fast is still better, I'll go back to it. I used to be able to take notes and go to the computer lab and write up a paper in a couple three hours and get an A on it in college and that was nearly 25 years ago, so maybe I'm an exception. As far as the 250 words, it's whatever they want. My DS writes notes about video games he'd like to design. My older DD is working on plot points for a graphic novel series. My younger DD is writing a novel. They've never really needed me to prompt them, but just in case, I'd pinned some writing prompts. I don't check for what they write, just for quantity.

My kids have rarely had it. One of my DDs won't drink it at all; she doesn't like the fizz. Once a month to six times a year we'll go out to a restaurant and they'll have one. Once a month to six times a year, we'll actually buy some at the grocery store (though usually because it's someone's birthday.) FWIW, I tend to think that homeschoolers and those on WTM forums are atypical. It seems to me that we tend to be much more well-informed, health conscious, and crunchy.

The one I saw tested children and they came out better with hand-writing things. But that study seemed flawed to me because keyboards aren't even made for children's hands and fingers and how many 8-year-olds can type well and fast. If there are other studies, I'd love to know about it. I'm a very fast writer, but as a Writer, I got tired of handwriting my work only to have to type it up. I ended up teaching myself to draft by typing. Then again, I'm a 60 wpm typer, so I'm going to be skeptical of some of these studies until I see what sort of controls they have on the study.

I do want to emphasize that this 250 handwritten words requirement is on top of any other essays, long answer, page-length assignments.

I have a relunctant writing son and I've got all my kids writing at least 250 words a day every weekday. It can be on anything, but it has to be handwritten (to get them used to writing for college profs and taking notes in class) and in a nice book I bought for them especially. For everything else, I let my son type his work. He types much faster than he handwrites, which is surprising for someone his age. Also, I am a very big picture person and I have had trouble writing things in the most logical way. I find my son is the same way. Revising and teaching him to revise is key. FWIW, I'm an award-winning writer, so it's not the end of the world. :huh:

Whenever I have more dishes to wash than usual, it's usually because my kids are using multiple glasses, plates, bowls, etc. on any given day. I can walk into the living room and there will be seven glasses. One is mine. The other six are from three kids. I've done this before and I'm going to have to do it again (and it may be worth it for you) to give each person a placemat and they have one full set of dishes to use for the entire day. This has worked well for us in the past (even going so far as to use window markers and writing their names on the drinking glass). But hands down, dishwasher is more efficient. People have done studies. The water used in it is recycled and when we're better about using it both our water bill (and sewer) and electric has been lower.

I was the subject of a smear campaign. Needless to say, I would doubt any "tips" I got from anyone about anyone else especially ones that would be deemed relationship enders (the lies and rumors spread about me by the smear campaigner were relationship enders) simply because there are some really mentally ill individuals who are Borderline Personality disordered or unstable or just plain malicious and sadistic and evil. My smear campaigner actually took joy in emotionally hurting other people and breaking up relationships. I wasn't the only victim of her malice. Confront the person that the tip was about. You'll get your answer quick enough, but if you already in doubt about this person, it sounds like you have an answer. I find that whenever I'm conflicted, I probably already know my decision it's just a matter of making peace with it and accepting the consequences.

Been planning my kids' 9th grade year in Ancient History and Literature and was wondering if there were free quizzes available online for comprehension. I'm able to find tons of vocabulary and character things on Quizlet, but not section by section quizzes. Does anyone know of any? TIA!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture might be appropriate for your son's age. Two pre-Christian factors that might come into play. 1- Hebrews (the terms Jew/Jewish came into play later) were fierce warriors and often decimated their enemies. 2- Jews (once the 12 tribes were reduced down to Judea) didn't conform and assimilate like the rest of the peoples of the ancient world, so they had some major cultural clashes with the Greeks (think the Maccabees and Hanukkah) and the Romans.

I'm planning to have an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party for my DDs at some point. Nine years of costumes will come out from storage and be repurposed. Seems like that's the only thing they're good for. :laugh:

I had two stress fractures on my ankle last year. My symptoms sounded very much like yours. X-rays showed nothing, but an ultrasound with an orthopedic dr. was able to get it sorted out. Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. will DELAY bone healing. Tylenol is recommended. Have your Vitamin D checked. Mine was very low. In the meantime, RICE- rest, ice, compression, elevation. If you are off your ankle for a while does it feel better? Does it hurt if you stand for more than 10 minutes straight. Does it ache when you get it hot (like in the bath or shower)?

DS was bullied by his 2nd grade teacher. She was nicknamed "The Yeller." We didn't realize something was wrong until mid-way through the year. He started having night terrors, locking his door, screaming at night. He got counseling at school. We thought he was the problem. Then he came home and went to do his math homework. He put the paper down on the table and didn't realize that his sister had spilled a drop of salsa on the table and it got on his homework sheet. He started flipping out. Turns out his teacher threw away any work that was "marred" in such a way though the salsa drop was at the top of the page and wouldn't have made a difference in his work. We requested he be moved to a new teacher. Principal refused. Pulled him out and started homeschooling him. Spending time with him made me realize he was probably intellectually stifled in PS. (I should note he had a phenomenal 1st grade teacher.) He had soooo many questions I knew weren't being answered at school. Then we learned his sister wasn't allowed to read when she was done with her work. What kind of teacher doesn't allow kids to read when they have free time? Once we learned that, we pulled all of them. Did a lot that first year. Definitely accelerated curriculum and classical methods. Three-fourths of the way through the second year, I got burnt out, kids were a problem, didn't realize we were in the February homeschool slump that was so prevalent. Put them back. DS did fine for the rest of the school year. Not too long into his 5th grade year, he broke his writing arm. Teacher didn't accomodate (I guess she expected a 504, but seems like a decent human being would just have done it or at least contacted us about it.) She started marking things wrong because they were illegible/he didn't finish. She started failing him, essentially, because he broke his arm and couldn't write. Pulled him out again. Sisters stayed in. By the end of that year, youngest was being relentlessly bullied by her peers. She talked of killing herself (she was in 4th grade) and would cry for no reason. Other kid aced all her tests for Honors course placement in middle school. When she said that some of the test was on things she learned in homeschool a full two years before, we knew they were not being well-served in PS and pulled them out. That was not quite three years ago and they are all now testing at college levels in all but two or three subjects. Next year they will start taking college courses at a four-year institution. FWIW, I was a Special Education teacher in Texas when George W. Bush was still governor. NCLB was in place then in TX (but not yet called that) and I saw what it did to kids. The gifted kids were playing games in one room, my Special Ed. kids were in a dimly lit hall with a student volunteer, and the best teachers were with the bubble kids (the ones on the cusp of passing or failiing the state assessments) and getting relentlessly drilled. I saw how little science and social studies were being done (2.5 hours a week maximum, one or the other never both in any given week) in 2nd grade (and this was in the late 1990s) and how the school year was focused on whatever test was that year- 3rd grade math and reading, 4th grade was all about writing because that was a new test, 5th grade became very science focus, because they added that in. If it wasn't being tested that year, hardly any instruction went on in other areas. Teachers had to have weekly meetings with the principal to discuss every kid's scores and whether or not they'd pass. Third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers were forced to afterschool tutor three days a week for base pay. If our school did well, the principal got a $1500 bonus. Us teachers got a stupid coffee mug with candy in it. It's been hard. It will be harder in the coming years. I've had to make massive career sacrifices recently and dh's work is suffering a bit, too. But it's been worth it and I know we are giving them the best possible education we can afford and maybe it's so good intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally to render it priceless.

I have done a study abroad in London and then returned to do a work abroad program. I don't know if London is a good idea straight out of high school. The reason I say this is because Londoners are very reserved and it will be much more difficult for your daughter to make friends right away. So she'll be thrown into an entirely different country and culture at 18 with a more difficult transition to making friends. A friend of mine moved to London several years ago because of her husband's job. She was in her late 30s, but she asked me before she even left about making friends with the locals. I told her to volunteer or get involved in some sort of organization and then after a time, they'd befriend her. She auditioned for a theatre group and then she made friends. They don't take to the friendliless of Americans without warming up to them through mutual interests/activities. My friend now has loads of friends, but if she hadn't followed my advice, it would have been much more difficult. Also, their colleges are very different. They have much longer papers to write every semester and killer exams. So take that into consideration.

You can use the barbells while on the treadmill (if you're walking) or get the soft ones that go over your hands. I do arm exercises while I'm on a recumbent bike. I also work out to YouTube videos. There's great arm ones by Rebecca Louise (blonde British woman) on xhit. I do those when I'm taking the day off cardio.

http://www.mrburnett.net/for history stuff. I really wish I could find a good literature one. I haven't yet. I've had some luck googling specific books we read for school, but not a whole site.

PM your email address and I'll send you a worksheet I made to help my kids brainstorm topics and narrow the focus enough to make a research paper/essay.

One of the thing that gets me is how many students email my dh and 1- misspell his name (it's not a hard name and is only 6 letters) 2- have such poor grammar and spelling in the body of their text and 3- don't use professional language in their interactions with him. I'm not sure who is supposed to teach them this, but the misspelling of his name is just laziness.

I looked at this one. It doesn't say what level it is. Is it high school? If so, I still find the reading level too low, a lack of difficult vocabulary, and some issues with the writing. I do like the maps, though. FWIW, I was recently advised to include copies of the table of contents of all the textbooks we use when my kids apply to college. For this reason, I'm now considering college level texts.

Alright, dh says that before Lewis, there really wasn't a good representation of modeling or bonding. While he didn't coin the term covalent, he did describe the bond. Your dd could write about his life, too, as he was homeschooled. He suggests you look here- If that link doesn't work type this into google- "the traite of the third chemical revolution" and then click on the second link the pdf. I used this rubric when I taught composition at a community college and also use it with my kids. I think at 16 your daughter needs to be writing more papers. Two so far might not be enough. At the community college where I taught, they had to do 7 papers in one semester. Use the writing board here to get feedback if you feel uncomfortable grading her work solely on your own.

http://memeaddicts.com/crazy/albert-einstein-quotes-about-technology/irregulartimes.com%5Ewp-content%5Euploads%5E2013%5E06%5Eeinsteintechquote2.jpg/irregulartimes.com%5E2013%5E06%5E28%5Ewhateinsteindidntsayaboutsocialmediausersbeingidiotsannouncedoversocialmedia%5E/

Alright, dh has some ideas, but he's wiped out tonight. I'll get back to you tomorrow morning with what he suggests.